Well fluid stabilizer



ATTORNE? 2 SHEETS-SHEET l A C HARTSELL WELL FLUID STABILIZER AA AllMarch 3l, 1953 Flled July 30, 1949 March 31, 1953 A. C. HARTSELL WELLFLUID `STABILIZER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 50, 1949 14g/fsw' PatentedMar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,633,202 WELL FLUIDsTABILIzER Arlis C'. Hartsell, El Campo, Tex.

Application July 30, 1949, Serial No. 107,715

(Cl. 16B-12) Claims.

, 1 This invention relates to a well fluid stabilizer. The inventionincludes certain improvements over that type of stabilizer disclosed inapplication iiled by this applicant in the United States Patent Ofce onJune 4, 1949, under Serial Number 97,278.

, The present invention relates more particularlyr to certainimprovements in the type of packer, or plunger assembly employed.

. It is an object of the present invention to provide in a stabilizer apacker, or plunger assembly, of such construction that the transversediameter of the packer or plunger body may be readily varied dependingon the inside diameter of the pipe in which the stabilizer is to beused.

The packer or plunger assembly is also of such construction that it maybe inverted and employed as a swab.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingspecification which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of the upper end of the stabilizer partly invertical section and shown located in a well pipe.

Figure 2 is a side view of the lower end of the stabilizer partly invertical section shown located in a well-pipe.

Figure 3 is a side view partly in section of a weight employed.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1.

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 ofFigure 2.

Figure 7 is an elevational view partly in section showing the packer, orplunger assembly being utilized as a swab.

` Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a foot valveemployed.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8,and;

ing body and preferably abutting the lower end of the coupling Ia thereis an inverted, cupshaped packer or plunger 2.

As shown in the drawing, the upper end of this plunger is clampedbetween the lower end of the coupling and a clamp ring 3, which may bewelded to the lower section of the supporting body I; and there is alsoan anchor 4 imbedded within the material of the upper end of the plungerand surrounding said body I.

As will be noted from an inspection of Figure 5, the plunger has theinside vertical grooves 5 spaced apart.

Threaded onto the body I beneath the plunger 2 there is a tensioningsleeve 6 whose upper end has an external annular ilange 1, and beneathsaid flange around said sleeve there are the sectional plate-likeanchors 8, 8 which may be releasably secured together.

There are the tension rods 9 whose upper ends are imbedded in thematerial of the plunger 2, and anchored to the anchor ring 4, and whoselower ends are secured to the anchors 8, 8. As is shown in Figure 5,there are, preferably, two of these tension rods between adjacentgrooves 5.

Accordingly, the transverse diameter of the plunger or packer 2 may becontrolled by the tension applied to the tension rods 9.

When the sleeve 6 is adjusted to create the desired tension so that thepacker or plunger will assume the required transverse diameter, a clampbolt IIJ, threaded through the sleeve 6, may be screwed inwardly t0engage the body I to maintain the desired tension.

As is well known, the inside diameter of well pipes vary, and it isaccordingly desired to be able to adjust the packer or plunger 2, sothat it will nicelyiit within the pipe, neither too tightly nor tooloosely.

. In order to prevent the inadvertent unscrewing of the coupling la fromsaid lower section, these parts may be additionally secured together bymeans of set screws as II. l

Screwed onto the upper end of the upper section of the body I there is ahead I2 which has the inlet openings I3, and whose upper end is of aconical shape.

When in use, there is a cylindrical weight I4 which rests onrthe head I2and whose lower end is provided with a conical shaped cavity I5 tosnugly receive the upper end of the head I2 as shown in Figure l. Theweight I4 may vary depending on the pressure of the fluid in the wellpipe I6 being withdrawn from the well.

Secured on the lower end of the supporting .novel mannen .opposingcircumferential `keyways 21, 2I which" body there is a back pressurevalve assembly I'I. This assembly includes a valve body I8 which isscrewed onto the lower end of the supporting body, and which is providedwith a valve seat I9. Cooperating with the seat there is a downwardlyopening valve which is provided with an upstanding stem 2 I. 'I'he valveis also provided with a depending stem 22 which works through the guide23 inithelower end of thehousing24, which is securedlon'lthe valve body.The lower -end'of the guide 23 is internally threaded to receive theplug 25.

There 'is a strong coil spring 22a Laround the stem 22 and interposedbetween the valve and the upper end of the guide 23 which normally holdsthe valve closed. i

The housing 24 is provided with suitable outlets 26 beneath the valveseat so that iiuidiorced downwardly through the pipe I6 will open saidvalve and pass .through Vthe outlets 2B.

lAs is illustrated in FiguresZ, 8 and 9, the Ahousing 24 may be securedon the valve `body in a The lowerend ofthe '.body has .terminate inopposing. downwardly `directed .slots 28, .28. The `housing `2li has the`inwardly exv.tended keys r29,29 secured .thereto which .may bepassed-upwardly through the slots 28 and then turned into said keywaysas Yshown in Figure `9.

. As wil=l--be notedirom. an .inspection of Figures 2 and .8, :theAupper end .of the housing 24 is diagonal with relation to the axis ofthe valve body, and

said ybody has `an external shoulder 3l) therearound which is alsodiagonal tosaid axis but `which'is vpitched .transversely with respectto the Ypitchrof 4the upper end of the housing .24, and when .thehousing :is applied to .the body and the keys 2'9 inserted into .thekeyways 21, `an open ilexible ring 3.I `conforming in shapeto thespace:between .theshoulder .3.0 andthe opposing end ,of thehousing, may .be-clamped .in Asaid space and will lock `the housing and valvebodyagainst `rela- `.tive.turning so .as to maintain .the back pressure-valve .assembly in assembled relation.

There .is a Lcollar 32 which is slidable on the .upper sectionof .thesupporting .bodyl being limited in its upward movement on said body .bythe annular .stop .33 which is welded .to said body l above .saidcollar.

.Fastened to the collar 32 there are the exible `armsll I.whose upperends extendabove the collar ,anddivergeoutwardly and whose lower ends extend beneath the collarand `secured to said lower :ends are thevwedge-.shaned jaws 3.5 which ride ,against .the .tapering surfacesofthe coupling Ia. .The ,outer surfaces .of .these jaws :aretoothed .so...as to engage the pipe I6 v,when .the jaws .are -expanded. Thesections of the wellpl/Je ILS are .con-

y .nected by .conventional couplings 36 whose inside ,diameterissomewhat greater than the inside `diameterofthe pipe.

`vtive to the pipe I6 theupper ends of the .bars `34 ,will expand outinto the coupling `3.6 asis shown y "in Figure vljbut when a, couplingis 4passed they will be contracted inwardly and will pass on As 4thetoolis lowered rela- Vthrough the pipe. vThey will vhold .the jaws 35elevated and thus contracted away from the pipe,

:and 'it will `be stopped at that'point bythe cupshaped plunger 2,andwill bemaintained in place as the pipe I6 is pulled upwardly andbroken out. so that as the pipe above is broken out there will .henowellliquid in it to spill out over the derrick floor, but it will beswabbed substantially dry.

.From .the foregoing it is apparent that the plunger 2 should beadjusted to nicely t within 'the 'pipe 'to 'be'pulled and in thisconnection it may he stated that the plunger 2 is provided with theinside vertical grooves l5 so as to facilitate .the-.contraction of theplunger incase it becomes [necessary to contract 'it to any considerabledegree.

lDuring the pullingoperationyif it becomes necessary to .force fluiddown through the stabilizer and pipe I6 and back up around said pipethis can be readily done owing .to the provision of the back. pressurevalve atthe lower end of lthe-tubular supporting body I.

The pipe I6 will usually carry'some type of fwell equipment at its lowerend so that the tool will `be retained in the lower, or last, sectionoi' the pipe being withdrawn, and'when said section is withdrawn thetool may thenbe recovered fromit.

.As illustrated in Figure .'7 the'packer or plunger is reversed and maybe usedas a swab. This is accomplished by detaching the coupling Ia fromthe body section above and reversing thepacker or plunger.so that thefoot valve will .be above and the packer Ywill open upwardly.

In such case the plug 2 5 is removed and a sinker 'bar`3'l is attachedto. the foot valve assembly and a cable connected to the sinker barwhich extends 'to the ground surface, and by means of which the swab maybe operated in the conventional manner. In .other respects the.construction of the swab shown in Figure '7 is the same asthat shown inFigures l and 2.

What I claim is:

1. In well eoluiprnenha4 tubular Asupporting body, a cup-shaped,`flexible plunger secured around the bodyand having spaced internallongitudinal grooves therein, a tensioning sleeve adjustable on the bodyand having an external flange, an annular anchor around the sleeve .andengageable withsadcilangeto cansetheanchor to move with .the .sleeve.away from `theplunger Vand Vtension rods each embedded at one .end inthe material vol? .the plunger betweenadjacentones of said grooves andconnected, at the other end, tothe anchor.

2. In well equipment, a `tubular supporting body, a cup-shaped plungeron the body and havingrcircumferentially spaced internallongitudinalgrooves therein, a tensioning sleeve movably carried on the body spacedfrom the Vplunger and 4having an external flange, an annular anchorsurrounding the `sleeve yand engageable with said iiange to cause theanchor to move withthe sleeve away from the plunger, tensioning rodsimbedded inthe plunger between the grooves and anchored to the plungerat one end and whose other ends are connectedto the anchor, .and meansfor adjusting the sleeve onthe body 'forvarying the tension on said rodsand .the plunger. 3. In well equipment, a tubular supporting body, acup-'shaped plunger one end of'which is aesaaoa tted closely around thebody, an anchor located within the material of said end of the plunger,a tensioning sleeve movably mounted on the body and spaced from theplunger, an anchor mounted on said sleeve for movement therewith and inwhich the sleeve is rotatable, tensioningr rods embedded ln the plungerand connected at one end to the plunger anchor and at their other endsto the sleeve anchor, and means for adjusting the sleeve on the body tovary the tension on said rods and plunger.

4. In well equipment, a tubular supportin body, a cup-shaped plunger onthe body one end of which fits closely about the body, said plungerhaving internal, longitudinal grooves, an anchor Within said end of theplunger, a tension sleeve movably mounted on the body, an anchor mountedon said sleeve and in which the sleeve is rotat able, tensioning barsimbedded, at one end, in the material of the plunger and connected tothe corresponding anchor and whose other ends are connected to thesleeve anchor, and means for adjusting the sleeve on the body to varythe tension on the plunger to in turn vary its transverse diameter.

5. In well equipment, a tubular supporting body, a cup-shaped plunger onthe body one end of which lts closely about the body, said plungerhaving circumferentially spaced internal longitudinal grooves therein,anchoring means located within the material of said end of the plunger,a tensioning sleeve threadably mounted on the body in spaced relation tothe plunger and having an external annular flange, an annular anchorformed in segments secured together about said sleeve and in which thesleeve is rotatable, said annular anchor being engageable with saidflange to cause the anchor to move with the sleeve away from saidplunger, pairs of tensioning bars embedded, at one end, in the materialof the plunger between adjacent ones of said internal grooves, andconnected to said anchoring means and whose other ends are connected tosaid annular anchor.

.ARLIS C. HARTSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in' the 20 le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

